Heating cricket motel

[Ozzfreak]

I am getting ready to start a cricket colony. I am going to be raising them in an old 50 gallon aquarium that I have. I would like to just keep them in the house, but you know how that goes. I am more than likely going to have to keep them in the garage, and there is no heat in there. I live in Missouri, so it can get quite cold here. I have read that you can get a thermostat to control a light, heat lamp, whatever, but I cannot find these anywhere. I think that a heat lamp would be find, but it may cook them if the temp outside fluctuates a lot, which is why I would like to have some sort of thermostat on it. Any ideas to help out chirp city?

Oz

 

[chemosh6969]

Have you looked in a nursery or garden section of a department store?

 

[Ozzfreak]

i don't know what i would find there, but i have looked at electrical supply stores and at feed stores. Neither know what to tell me.

Oz

 

[jarrell]

i dont know much but i heard you can keep crickets in cardoard boxes

 

[chemosh6969]

i don't know what i would find there, but i have looked at electrical supply stores and at feed stores. Neither know what to tell me.

Oz

Some have equipment for turning on lights based on the temp.

 

[Ozzfreak]

i dont know much but i heard you can keep crickets in cardoard boxes

yeah, but that wouldn't heat them, hehe

Oz

 

[Bloodletting]

go to a tractor supply store/farm store. They have heating lamps for chicks and baby ducks, pretty cheap. You can plug it into a timer. It won't cook them. The crickets will congregate towards the heat source, just keep it up and out of the way.

scott

 

[Ozzfreak]

go to a tractor supply store/farm store. They have heating lamps for chicks and baby ducks, pretty cheap. You can plug it into a timer. It won't cook them. The crickets will congregate towards the heat source, just keep it up and out of the way.

scott

Yeah, I thought of a timer, but that wouldn't make the temperature consistant. It could fluctuate a lot before it comes back on. Surely there is something out there that will turn a light off and on based on temp. *sigh* oh well.

Oz

 

[chemosh6969]

Surely there is something out there that will turn a light off and on based on temp. *sigh* oh well.

Oz

They sell things at nurserys that do just that. You could also buy a heater that does it.

 

[Ozzfreak]

They sell things at nurserys that do just that. You could also buy a heater that does it.

I'll try a nursery as soon as I can get to one. You think Lowes would have it? Not any nurseries around here.

Oz

 

[chemosh6969]

I'll try a nursery as soon as I can get to one. You think Lowes would have it? Not any nurseries around here.

Oz

They have a garden section so they might.

This is what your are looking for, a heating thermostat
http://www.littlegreenhouse.com/accessory/controls.shtml

 

[Ozzfreak]

They have a garden section so they might.

This is what your are looking for, a heating thermostat
http://www.littlegreenhouse.com/accessory/controls.shtml

Yes, that's what I'm looking for. I didn't think they would cost that much though. Thanks for the help.

Oz

 

[Wade]

Here's a cheaper and possibly easier one: http://www.thatpetplace.com/Product...rol/T1/R54AX+0047+0389/EDP/3920/Itemdy00.aspx

Although I'm thinking you may not really need it. A 50 gallon is pretty big, a lamp suspended over the middle will provide heat to the area right below it, but the areas to the sides will still be cooler so the crickets can move away or move closer as they need. Also, if you provide structure, like egg crating etc. this will provide additional thermoregulation opprotunities for them to move up and get closer or go down to get away.

Lamp wattage will be something you have to figure out. If it's an attached garage, it probably gets some residual heat from your house and isn't as cold as a detatched garage, and an ordinary 100 watt household bulb might be enough. Red tinted bulbs are usually less disturbing to the crickets. If it's a detatched garage with no heat at all, you might want the big 250 watt infrared lamps. The red-tinted version will be less disturbing to the crickets. You will have to experiment a bit to figure out how high the bulb needs to be suspended over the tank to get the heat you want without overdoing it. With those big bulbs, you definately want a ceramic-based reflecor fixture. Feedstores have them, but since you said you don't have those, check out any pet store that carries reptiles. They might be a few bucks more, though. You can also check that website I posted above, but make sure to get the CERAMIC ones rated for 250 or higher lamps.

Oh, and don't burn your house down

Wade

 

[Ozzfreak]

Here's a cheaper and possibly easier one: http://www.thatpetplace.com/Product...rol/T1/R54AX+0047+0389/EDP/3920/Itemdy00.aspx

YES, this is exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks a lot. And my garage is a detached garage. And one more thing, I won't burn it down, I hope, . Thanks again.

Oz